With millions of homeowners now struggling to repay money they clearly never should have borrowed, our leaders have been righteously wagging fingers at predatory lenders who allegedly enticed innocent borrowers, and the country, into a financial snake pit. While the mortgage industry clearly deserves a good share of the blame, unindicted co-conspirators abound. The ringleaders are still at-large and are, in fact, busy hatching a plan to dwarf the earlier mistakes.

Contrary to the message bouncing off the marble walls of the Capitol, most borrowers in the inflating housing bubble clearly understood the terms of their loans. Most knew that they could not afford their mortgage payments once their teaser rates expired, but enthusiastically jumped into the debt pool anyway believing that guaranteed real estate appreciation, or a quick and profitable sale, would keep them afloat.

Although both lenders and borrowers were acting in their own perceived self-interest, what can we say of our economic policymakers who are expected to protect the good of all? Their actions encouraged the whole sad circus. Were it not for the excessively low interest rates provided by the Fed, the lax lending standards and moral hazards supplied by Congress courtesy of Freddie, Fannie, and the FHA, and the many real estate subsidies built into the tax code, none of these predatory loans would have been possible.

Had lenders exercised better judgment and had borrowers avoided overly burdensome debt loads, both parties would clearly be in better financial positions today. Instead, as borrowers were demanding the credit to fuel their dreams of instant real estate riches, lenders were being ordered to accommodate them.

In past generations, homebuyers were required to save for down payments and postpone their purchases until they could actually afford conventional 30-year fixed mortgages. But in recent years, as home ownership became a matter of public policy, the government accused lenders of discrimination and urged lower standards and easier terms. With government guarantees in place, the mortgage industry was happy to both expand their revenues and promote a better society.

Yo, I hate my boss
Dude think he know it all
And I know I know it all
But I follow protocol
Hope he sit in a casket
Got me sittin’ in traffic
It’s 7 a.m. (sheesh)
And I woke up late
Didn’t even have a shower
Lunch break, gimmie a break
A damn half-an-hour
All this bullshit for twelve bucks an hour
Plug me to Chuck D, wanna fight the power
Instead I light the sour before I go in the office
Being here eight hours sure will get you nauseous
Lady across from me telling me her problems
I’m looking at her like yo
How the fuck I’m gone solve ’em
You know her ethnicity
Car note, rent, don’t forget electricity
Internet, cable and the phone all connected
Food, gas, tolls oh now it’s getting hectic
Brand new clothes
Nah, you’d rather see me naked
Yo check it, I got my check
Now I’m feelin’ disrespected
Why am I workin’ here
It ain’t workin’ here, It ain’t worth it here
I’m never gone persevere
Ain’t no money for new shoes or purses here
I should’ve done my first career, huh
Nursin’ yeah
Now I’m sittin’ here thinkin’ ’bout the work I put in
This verse from the everyday working woman

I put on my pants, put on my shoes
I pray to God, paid all my dues
I’m tryin to win, seem like I was born to lose
All I can say is (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I say let me through
But they don’t let me through
You wanna quit, goddamn I’m ready to
Lifestyle I’m livin’ ain’t steady boo
All I could say (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Hey yo I’m lookin’ for a job
Ain’t nobody hiring
Then I asked the boss
When y’all doing firing
You I’m admiring
Nice job, family man, car and
Lookin’ in these want ads are tiring
Could’ve been a fireman, learned to do wiring
Then get retirement, I blame my environment

I’m on an interview, for delivery
Locked up, felony, now the dude quizzin’ me
I’m workin’ on my future
Why you need to know my history
All he did was Google me, no big mystery
He ain’t diggin’ me
Politely he was dissin’ me
No we’re not hiring
But thanks for the visit, please
He ain’t want me, my grandmother warned me
Them goddamn felonies would haunt me, taught me
No second chance, back to the same block
Go home my baby’s mom done changed locks
This a game, huh, okay the game’s on
Then she opened the door with the chain on
Said she been reaching out for several days
I ain’t helpin’ out, we need to go our separate ways
I was just amazed, wanna go another route
Let me get my clothes
Said she took ’em to my mother’s house
She was pissed off, yeah P.O.’ed
And said go head and wild out
I’ll call your P.O.

I put on my pants, put on my shoes
I pray to God, paid all my dues
I’m tryin to win, seem like I was born to lose
All I can say is (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I say let me through
But they don’t let me through
You wanna quit, goddamn I’m ready to
Lifestyle I’m livin’ ain’t steady boo
All I could say (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

I put on my pants, put on my shoes
I pray to God, paid all my dues
I’m tryin to win, seem like I was born to lose
All I can say is (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I say let me through
But they don’t let me through
You wanna quit, goddamn I’m ready to
Lifestyle I’m livin’ ain’t steady boo
All I could say (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

I had the pleasure of kicking it with Killah Priest back stage a recent Wu-Tang show.

Game recognizing Game.

The guy is a class act, and seriously, so far ahead of everyone…

Killah Priest – Listen to Me

“I light my candle under Saint Anthony
Burning rosemary for friends and family
For those buried, for all humanity and soul’s heavy
Ride thru life like an old Chevy
Like at the world thru your rearview
And honk your horn till they hear you
So after you’re gon’ its tribute
For all the pain that you’ve lived thru
Rainstorms and now clear blue
A King’s gon’ on your mural
Wings form in the spiritual
The ritual for those we long here is my tears and the tissue
I opened it, look how they turned the diamonds
Showed you reflections cuz you’re still shining
The worldly body had to do some dying
Transformation, so I leave this here wit the plants’ fragrance
Before you roam the land of the ancient
My mind is the enigma filled wit broken pictures
The spiritual thug could see clearer now”

“Light up a cigar let the aroma reach up
It’s like the smile on the Mona Lisa
Holding a child that rose on Easter
Like a cloud passing ova Giza
Peep the styles of my older teachers
Thru a cloud when he blow his cheeba
His weed storm passes on then it rains down on my peoples”

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

“And the block is always hot, Godbodies got it locked
Like Fort Knox, we headliners, M-16 designers
C.E.O., slash, crime rhymers
No matter where you hide, my infrared’ll find ya
Lined ya, get you paranoid like ganja
The messenger, rhyme editor, walk like a predator
The streets is like a jungle
Crawling with scavengers with silencers
That’ll pop your watermelon, who you telling, what you selling?
Yo, nobody, peace to 9th Prince, so stop yelling
For God’s sake, ya’ll niggas is coke heads
Amped off of snow flakes, I’m on a paper chase
Flee the scene without a trace
Dipped down in black, it was me and the Ghostface
Army fatigued down, busting rounds at you clowns
I’m Kool like Moe Dee, so ‘how the fuck you like me now?’
My underground sound that breaks the compound, aiyo”

A jewel from back in 1997:

Gravediggaz ft 9th Prince & Blue Raspberry – What’s Goin’ On

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

I just got sent this by my little brother Nicholas Alfonso Mason, AKA The Jaguar:

“I always liked this guy back during the ROC days. he was always really good but never on a good song. for some reason i was wondering what he was doing these days and i guess a couple months ago he came out with this jay-z (kind of) diss track, he’s pretty DAMN funny on it.”

Peedi Crakk – “Sweet Dreams”

Sick flow:

PEEDI CRAKK-FALLBACK VIDEO

Peedi Crakk- I’m Sorry (JAY-Z DISS)

Young Chris ft. Peedi Crakk – Kill Me

Peedi Peedi -Roc Boys Freestyle (Jay-Z Diss)

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK
The Guide to Getting More Out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com